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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June. 1869, by J . YV. Burkk & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia.
Vol. 111-—No. 27.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
THE ANGEL’S SONG.
A CHRISTMAS STORV
BY MRS. THEODOSIA FORD.
4\jT HE door of the green
house stood open, and
r there came from it such
a delicious warm breath, like the
early summer, and such sweet
odors, that no wonder the plants
that lived there were happy.
Whole rows of camelias, some
of a beautiful rose color, some
deep red, then pearly white, then
spotted red and white. Those
were for beauty, they had no
odor ; but then came heliotropes,
whose spicy fragrance seemed
the island of Ceylon concentra
ted, and sea olives sweeter than
China could boast, and Daphnes
and violets, rows upon rows,
shelves upon shelves, more than
you could imagine or I could tell
you, —some with hard names,
some with easy names, some that
you know, some that you have
never heard of; but all beautiful,
all sweet, all wonderful. So it
seemed to the children flitting
about within, bending over this
plant, admiring that, and they
were used to it; and so it seem
ed to the little vagrant without,
who was crouching down and
peeping through the latticed wall
of brick which surrounded the
garden. To him the green-house
door seemed the gate of Heaven,
and the warm air which floated out and
kissed his face, the breath of God.
“Oh! a white Christmas! a white
Christmas!” exclaimed the children,
going to the open window and looking
out. “ A white Christmas ! Barney
was right. He said the leaden clouds
would bring snow, and we would have
a white Christmas.”
And they jumped for joy and almost
danced with delight around the open
door, as the great snow flakes, soft and
MACON, GEORGIA, JANUARY 1, 1870.
“a white Christmas!” exclaimed the children".
white, looking like feathers dropped by
the birds in Paradise, came floating
down, faster and faster, smaller and
smaller, until the ground began to look
white, and every little bush and shrub
bore up bravely under its spotless load,
and the children retreated to the shelter
of the open door and stood talking.
The child without could not hear per
fectly all that was said ; only sentences
reached him: “A white Christmas,”
and then “ the beautiful tree,” and then
“gifts for all,” and then “the midnight
chant,” and then “ the angels song,”
and then all talked together, until one,
more earnest or more vehement, silen
ced the others, and the child distinctly
heard:
“Yes, it is so, for Barney says, and
he knows, that when the angels sung all
the cattle that the shepherds were watch
ing kneeled down to listen, and that
from that time to this, on Christmas eve,
they all do it, no matter where they are,
Whole No. 131.
in the stall, or in the field. The
cocks crow, and the cows, and all
the cattle kneel down. They can
hear the angels sing, and I have
made up my mind to watch to
night. This is Christmas eve,
and T shall do it.”
“And I, and I, and I,” chimed
in the other voices.
Just then, from the house nea r
by came the call:
“Children! children! child
ren! come in, we are waiting.”
There was laughter and mirth,
and each child took up the flow
ering shrub for which it had been
sent, the eldest one shutting the
door carefully after her, and went
into the house.
The vagrant without watched
them eagerly. The wall was
most unselfishly built. The bricks
were so laid as to form a lattice
work, through which the beauty
of the garden might be enjoyed
by the passers - by, and now
through one of the openings, he
could see all within. How pretty
the led and plaid dresses, how
warm the nice overcoats, how
merry and happy the gay voices,
and then such shoes and stock
ings and thick gloves !
He picked up the blacking and
brushes, which he had laid upon
the pavement by him, but his
numb and frozen fingers would
not hold them. He laid them
down again to rub and chafe some
warmth into his cold hands. The
brushes were covered with snow ;
the house tops, the trees, even
his old hat. He took it off, brushed off
the snow, and was or.ee preparing to
leave when a light wagon drove up. A
gentleman was seated beside the driver,
holding carefully a beautiful little pine
tree, planted in a box. The box was
round and painted green, with bright
red hoops, and the handles were red,
and the tree —oh ! how beautiful it was !
The stem and the branches were cover
ed with gold and apples of gold and sil
ver, and of bright, beautiful colors, red